


The Melody of Sea Breezes

by prompt_fills



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Friendship, M/M, Pining, Pre-Slash, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-20
Updated: 2015-08-20
Packaged: 2018-04-16 06:56:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4615659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prompt_fills/pseuds/prompt_fills
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lewis has his sunglasses on, a wry smile on his lips. He turns to Nico, starting a conversation without any preamble, like he used to do when they were younger. “I’m going to travel to Monaco on my own.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Melody of Sea Breezes

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](http://f1slash.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://f1slash.livejournal.com/)**F1 Slash** , for this song lyrics:  
>   
>  _Baby, I've been thinking all about you lately_  
>  _With the way you're looking who could really blame me?_  
>  _Oh baby, oh darling_  
>  _Of all the other girls I could be callin'_  
>  _That phone of yours is ringing off the wall and_  
>  _Oh oh oh darling, oh darling_  
>  _You're such a sweet thing, sweet thing, sweet thing_  
>   
>  _(Sweet Thing - Twin Peaks_  
> 

Despite the promising results in qualifying, the Barcelona race is one big disappointment for both him and Lewis. Nico is still getting used to a new team and a new car. His expectations aren’t set very high, especially after the previous seasons. But Lewis’ front left giving up on him two laps shy from crossing the finish line in a second place, that stings. Nico makes sure to catch up with Lewis after the whole media circus is done.

Lewis has his sunglasses on, a wry smile on his lips. He turns to Nico, starting a conversation without any preamble, like he used to do when they were younger. “I’m going to travel to Monaco on my own.”

“Oh. Cool.”

“Want to join me?”

Nico’s response is automatic. “Sure.”

“Cool,” Lewis grins, coughing up a little. Probably all that dust from the gravel is irritating him. “Hope you don’t still get seasick.”

“I never get—wait, we’re sailing up there?”

Lewis’ grin turns devious. “Got my license last summer.”

“You never mentioned it.”

“Are you sure you don’t suddenly have some urgent PR activity scheduled?”

Nico screws up his face. “I wish. When are we sinking away?”

Lewis elbows him sharply. Somehow, he can always tell when Nico is messing up his English on purpose.

**\- - -**

Nico eyes the boat Lewis enthusiastically points out. “You realize I need to be there for the Thursday practise, preferably in one piece, right?” Nico drawls.

“Did you know it’s possible to be there under eighteen hours?”

Nico didn’t know. “With this thing?” He dubiously eyes the boat. It is tiny and its rig is tiny and he can already see this going very badly.

Lewis laughs at him and tugs at Nico’s arm so Nico finally tears his eyes away from the little boat dangerously swaying on the waves. “I was having you on,” Lewis says. “This is the one,” he explains, nudging Nico towards a nearby motorsailer.

“Oh, much better.”

“It won’t be eighteen hours, though,” Lewis says apologetically. “We’re taking the scenic route.”

“No argument here,” Nico smiles, following Lewis onboard. He breathes in the crisp air, closing his eyes and imagining the 600km of blue sea waiting for them.

**\- - -**

“Do you know what time we set off?”

“Around half past eight, I think,” Nico answers, not bothering to look at Lewis. The sun is shining brightly, reflecting in the water with a blinding force. Nico’s eyes tear up a bit whenever he gazes at the sea, even though he’s wearing sunglasses. He is leaning against the railing, watching the coastline, and letting the wind make a mess of his hair.

“We could be in Palamós in time for lunch,” Lewis shouts after a beat, his voice carrying from afar.

“Sounds good,” Nico says. The staysail folds down with a swoosh and Nico jumps, turning around. Lewis is cursing colourfully, trying to raise it again. Nico’s eyes drift to Lewis’ exposed chest, watching the muscles shift as Lewis struggles with the sail. Nico bites his lip, then calls out: “Need a hand with that?”

“Nah, I’ve got this!” Lewis insists.

Nico shrugs and turns back to watch the coast. Barcelona is still visible on their left.

**\- - -**

Nico is sunbathing on the deck, flat on his belly, sunglasses pushed in his hair to keep it from falling to his face. He’s trying to read a book. Lewis is constantly on his phone, the low murmur of his voice easy and teasing. The gusts of wind make the sails flap noisily, so Nico can’t quite follow the conversations. He turns to a next page. He’s not jealous.

He wants to leap over, yank the damned phone from Lewis’ hand and chuck it over the board. He wants to watch it sink.

Nico counts down from ten to zero, switching to another language with every even number. Then he turns another page.

Several minutes later, a shadow falls over him.

Nico twists his head up. “All done?”

Lewis starts to answer but his phone rings again. Lewis glances down at the screen, grimaces and holds up a hand to Nico in apology. “Gotta take this one,” he says, turning his back on Nico again. Nico hides his face in the book still opened in front of him and stifles a groan. He was worried about being alone with Lewis but Lewis hardly has time for anything but the boat and his phone. Nico rises his head just enough to close the book and shove it under his head. He shifts to his back and uses the book as a pillow. He jerks his head so the glasses fall to his nose, and lets the sun soak into his skin.

He wishes—

He wishes he would have a legit reason to call Lewis more often himself.

**\- - -**

Despite the snack he had earlier, Nico’s stomach is already grumbling by the time they anchor in Palamós. They have a quick look through the town to stretch their legs, look at the church and find someplace quiet to eat their lunch. When the church chimes four, they are already back on the boat, trying to tame the sails.

Nico’s phone pings with a new message and he makes a face when he reads it. His thumb hovers over the keyboard uncertainly for a few moments before he shoves the phone resolutely back in his pocket.

There is another text a few hours later: _when r u back???_

Nico bites his lip and then types: _No idea._

He puts his phone on mute after that.

Lewis is playing his guitar; Nico has heard the melody from him before but he doesn’t know the song. He smiles when he hears Lewis humming, and goes over to make sure the boat isn’t about to go Titanic on them.

**\- - -**

Lewis is sitting on the very edge, his legs swinging just above water, his feet dipping into the waves when they come high to sway their boat.

Lewis is playing that sweet soft melody again and again, his fingers getting less sure as the song progresses, like he’s trying to recall a song he’d learned years ago.

Nico likes the melody but the song never gets finished and when Lewis inevitably messes up and starts playing the riff again, Nico feels like smacking the guitar over Lewis’ head.

It’s an old acoustic guitar, obviously often played; the pick guard is battered and scratched, the stickers peeling off its body. There is one heart-shaped sticker that reads _I’m thinking about you!_ in Italian. Nico wonders about it a lot but he never asks.

**\- - -**

“Such delicate skin, princess,” Lewis taunts by the evening of the second day. Nico’s back is peeling.

They buy some after sun spray in Saint-Tropez. Lewis grumbles about having to make the extra stop. “One more town and we’ll be lucky if we get back in time for Istanbul.”

Nico stays in shade the whole next day and only gets out after the nightfall when the sky is dark and cloudy.

They can’t see any stars. About an hour after midnight, the sky clears enough for the moonlight to shine down on the water. It’s a beautiful sight.

Nico stares into the vast ocean, and wishes.

**\- - -**

Nico soundlessly crosses the deck.

Lewis is tuning the guitar by ear. He fiddles with the pegs, plugging at the strings, listening with his head cocked to the side.

Nico sits beside him. “I haven’t played in forever,” he confesses.

“Piano?”

“Guitar,” Nico corrects. “But yeah, it’s been ages since I played piano.” Sometimes, Nico misses the feeling of his fingers flying effortlessly over the keyboard. He wonders if there is a melody he’d still remember, something engrained so deep that even months and months and months of not playing wouldn’t matter.

“Here,” Lewis says, handing him the guitar. “Uh, hold it like this,” he leans closer to adjust Nico’s grip.

“I don’t remember any chords,” Nico protests.

“Ah, this one is easy,” Lewis grins, “just don’t tell anyone I taught you. It’s a really, really bad way to play it.”

Nico’s middle finger and thumb clumsily press down the first and last string respectively, in the most sloppy G chord Lewis’ guitar ever played.

Lewis laughs out loud, one hand on Nico’s shoulder, the other sliding down the fretboard, alternating between D and A chord. “I like simple songs, you know?”

“Like Wonderwall,” Nico deadpans.

“Chord anchors,” Lewis admits in a secretive whisper.

**\- - -**

The boat sails quietly through the night, rocking gently. The sea is calm and dark, a different shade of dark than the sky.

They can see the yellow lights along the coastline in front of them. Somewhere out there is Monaco. Nico can’t make it out quite yet.

Lewis picks up the guitar again from Nico and starts playing, humming along.

The breeze is warm. Nico presses a little closer to Lewis and when Lewis gives him a look Nico can’t interpret in the darkness, he lowers his head so his hair falls over his eyes.

The melody falters.

“Nico.”

Lewis palms the nape of Nico’s head, fingers brushing the hair from Nico’s face. Nico is sure he must have stopped breathing. His heartbeat sounds deafening in the sudden silence. Surely Lewis couldn’t also—

“Nico?”

“Sure,” Nico agrees eagerly. It’s a conversation they’ve been having for a while. Nico just didn’t realize.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to whoever prompted the lyrics, I really enjoyed the song and now I can play it both on guitar and piano. ;)


End file.
